In 1977, I went to my local theater to see Star Wars: A New Hope, and in 1982 I saw Star Trek II: The Wrath of Kahn. I was very young and impressionable, and both of those films sparked a serious interest in science fiction. One aspect of the shows that really drew my attention was the idea of speed. The Millennium Falcon blasting off into HyperSpace, and the Enterprise shooting forward into warp drive captured my imagination. Not only did I fall in love with Sci-Fi, I also considered a career in deep science focusing on alternate propulsion systems. For better or worse, I chose the Faramir path rather than Boromir’s way. I’m sure Denethor would have put me in the same category as his hated son (see Faramir’s discussion about it in the LoTR films).
As a writer of science fiction, I’ve played in other IP universes so far (Star Wars and EVE Online), but as I continue to develop my own science fiction universe, I have been giving a lot of thought as to how my stories will handle traveling the vast distance separating star systems. How will my characters outrun the light? Very good question. I lean more toward the imagined channels of space travel verses the limited options offered by our “known” current science.
Among many ideas, you have warp drive, hyperdrive, slipstream, stargates, space folding drives, wormholes, hibernation pods, and slight variations on those concepts as well as combinations depending on the story setting. There is faster-than-light travel, instantaneous travel, and sub-light travel. They are all interesting in their own way, and as writers and readers, our imaginations are unlimited.
One of my favorite concepts is anti-gravity. I saw a UAP/UFO once. Whether you call it an unidentified aerial phenomenon or unidentified flying object, I have grappled with knowing they exist for 29 years. I’m a witness, not a believer, which in our day is quite different. Our universe is so vast, it is silly to think we are the only beings that exist. The one I saw was approximately 80 yards in diameter, and I was within 100 yards of the craft. It hovered silently in the middle of a suburban neighborhood at billboard level close to the ground. Alien or government, I don’t know.
With that experience, I know anti-gravity exists in some form, and I am very interested in the concept. That is one component I know will be part of my science fiction universe. The ships will be able to navigate free from the effects of gravity. The concept does exist in science fiction, which is good, but I’m also trying to think of additional forms of propulsion.
Trying to come up with a unique form of travel is not easy. After all, there have been a lot of great writers and amazing stories that have developed the ideas extensively. My brain is churning with all these developed concepts, so we’ll eventually see if any new ideas form. That is the fun of imagination, sometimes we can imagine something new. While difficult sometimes, it is not impossible.
Additional Reading
Faster-than-light (FTL) Travel in Science Fiction (Dan Koboldt)
Beyond the Warp Drive: Five Examples of Creative FTL (Jason Hough)
Faster than light (Bob Al-Greene)
FTL: The 10 Best Versions Of Space Travel In Sci-Fi Movies & Shows (Amanda Hurych)
Daniel Bastion
Daniel Bastion 